08143
February 22, 2008

Celebrating self-help

SDOP Sunday pays tribute to program that empowers the poor

by Evan Silverstein
Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — For more than 35 years, Presbyterians have helped poor and oppressed people worldwide through the Self-Development of People (SDOP) program.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is celebrating SDOP’s ministry by encouraging congregations to proclaim Sunday, March 2, Self-Development of People Sunday.

SDOP, funded primarily through the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering, enables members and non-members of the PC(USA) to establish partnerships with oppressed and disadvantaged people, providing small grants for self-help projects aimed at helping recipients achieve self-sufficiency.

“SDOP Sunday provides wonderful opportunities for Presbyterians in the pews to hear the theological reasons for SDOP and to celebrate the ministry,” said Cynthia E. White, SDOP’s director. “It is a great time for community groups that have received assistance from SDOP to worship with Presbyterians. A time to share how their lives have been impacted by the OGHS offering and a time to say, ‘Thank you.’”
 
SDOP is providing a variety of resources and suggestions for the celebration:

• A downloadable Sunday resource flier with materials about SDOP’s ministry.
• A list of ten ways to celebrate SDOP Sunday.
• SDOP Wallet Card – The SDOP program is summarized in a small brochure folded to the size of a standard business card available free of charge through Marketplace or by calling the Presbyterian Distribution Service at (800) 524-2612 and requesting PDS item number 25422-07-001.
• SDOP hymn contest - SDOP is seeking a new hymn. Although SDOP will continue using its current hymn with text by Presbyterian hymn-writer Jane Parker Huber, “Justice Is A Journey Onward,” which was written in 1996, it also seeks another hymn with text relating to SDOP.  The winning hymn will be featured in next year’s SDOP Sunday resource flier for congregations across the country to sing on SDOP Sunday in 2009.
• Worship resources for SDOP Sunday – Includes a call to worship, invocation and SDOP’s hymn “Justice Is A Journey Onward.”
• Print resources – In addition to bulletin inserts and community booklets containing basic information and frequently asked questions about SDOP, resources include a thematic collection of sermons and liturgical materials celebrating the ministry of SDOP. It is intended to provide pastors with materials to assist in their preparation for worship services emphasizing SDOP, especially on SDOP Sunday. For a free copy, call the Presbyterian Distribution Service at (800) 524-2612 and request PDS item number 74350-06-010. Also featured is a 3-1/2-minute presentation, Sharing Our Blessings, available free of charge on DVD, videotape or compact disc. It highlights SDOP’s ministry and the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. For a free copy, ask for PDS item number 74350-02-010 (video), 74350-02-011 (CD) or 74350-03-008(DVD).